Pehle usko bolo bharat mein naam kare: Maestros respond to Sandeep Das' award statement

Sandeep Das, the tabla player who was part of the Grammy winning Silk Route ensemble of Yo-Yo Ma, has sure given India a reason to celebrate. but his lament that India hasn’t recognised his worth yet, which he made clear when he asked, ‘Where’s my Sangeet Natak Akademi Award?’ hasn’t gone down well with the music fraternity in India.
Yes, we are proud that an Indian was part of a Grammy winning album; we are happy that an Indian-born tabla player collaborated with the multiple Grammy Award winner Yo-Yo Ma, but that doesn’t give Sandeep Das the right to demand the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, like its his right, they say.Hyderabad Times listens in.

I won a Grammy in 1994, but the Sangeet Natak Akademi gave me an award only in 2000. You see, Sangeet Natak Akademi awards are highly prestigious and technical. Factors like age, contribution to the art, seniority and many other criteria are taken into consideration. For the Akademi, Grammy Awards and even the Padma awards are irrelevant. An award from the Akademi can’t be claimed like it’s a right. Even if he (Sandeep Das) wants to use the Grammy Award as his claim to fame, he should perhaps work on winning one first, on individual merit. He was only one among the many members of the band that worked with Yo-Yo Ma. Sandeep wasn’t even called on the stage and awarded. Just holding that trophy which Yo-Yo Ma requested the organisers to give each of his accompanying artistes, shouldn’t become a matter of pride or a passage for more awards.
— Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Grammy award-winning Mohan Veena artiste

First, let’s get the facts right here. The Album Sing Me Home, which won the Grammy was a collaboration between Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Sandeep Das was a credited musician on just three songs. So when we call him a Grammy Award winner, we are putting him on par with brilliant artistes like Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Pt Ravi Shankar — which is a gross misrepresentation. Yes, we should all be proud that an Indian has collaborated with an artiste like Yo-Yo Ma, who has already won 17 Grammy awards in the past. We should also be glad that Sandeep was part of a Grammy award-winning album. Coming to awards in our country, let’s face it our biggest stalwarts have already been awarded. Just because you won an award from the West, even if it’s a Grammy, you can’t expect India to follow suit. May be Sandeep should consider coming back to India and enriching the landscape of the classical music here. Live here, take classical music around the country, teach music or just become an example for the young to follow his footsteps, before he demands an award from the country.
— Ricky Kej, Grammy Award Winning Composer
I was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2000, should I ask “Where is my Grammy”?
Grammy award milna bahut achhi baat hai, aur bahut mushkil bhi hai kiyun ki yeh bahari desh ka hai. And if an Indian wins it, then it’s all the more reason to celebrate. But, Grammy Award aisa hai, ki ek group mein ek aadmi piche baithe kuch bhi baja rahe, toh bhi usko Grammy award dete hai, agar uske group ko Grammy mila. Char baitho toh char ko dete hai, saat baitho toh saat ko dete hai. Mujhe toh Padma Vibhushan mila 2000 mein. So should I have asked, ‘where is my Grammy?’ Humne to aisi baat nahi ki. Chote-mote log hi aise baat karte hai. Coming to Indian awards, yaha lobby-wobby kuch chalta nahi hai, jo shaksham hai, uusko award aur recognition milta hai. Pehle usko bolo bharat mein naam kare, phir Sangeet Natak Akademi Award claim kare.
— Pt Jasraj, hindustani vocalist
By that logic, the Silk Road team should be given SNA, right?
I am happy that Sandeep’s name featured in the conglomerate of the artistic group that won the Grammy award recently. While it might be true that coveted awards in India do not always reach deserving candidates, or in the deserving timeframe, I am sure other recognitions will come Sandeep’s way in in India, too. But if he claims a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award on the basis of a Grammy award he won as part of a group that was awarded for the Best World Music Album category, then his entire team should be awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Now that would be impractical, wouldn’t it?
— Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee, sitar maestro